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Chapter 358: Chapter 293: Surprise (Please Subscribe!)_1
Tang Qing opened each of the gifts and expressed that he ’liked them very much.’ Otherwise, if he didn’t even look at them, it would chill people’s hearts.
He repackaged them one by one and placed them on a chair nearby.
Then, Tang Qing stared intently at Chai Ren. The scrutiny made him uneasy, assuming there was something dirty on his face. He was not a woman, so Chai Ren casually wiped his face with his hand. But there was nothing.
However, Tang Qing continued to stare at him with a cryptic grin. Liu Qian was puzzled too—there’s no dirt or mark on Chai Ren’s face!
Confused, Chai Ren asked, "Why are you staring at me?"
"Everyone has already given their gifts." Tang Qing’s voice paused, then he humorously added, "What about yours, Young Master Chai?"
Seeing the bewildered look on Chai Ren’s face, Tang Qing felt a strange thrill. He found the act of ’extortion’ entertaining. No wonder Qin Shiqi always tried to ’extort’ him—the baffled expression on the person’s face was truly amusing.
Upon hearing Tang Qing’s words, Chai Ren didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Today, he was ’extorted’ by someone he had just met. It had been a long time since he had this feeling — only his siblings had ever treated him this way. Recognizing his elders, he had no choice but to smile and bear it.
Thinking back, he felt a renewed warmth towards Tang Qing. It didn’t feel impolite.
"Sly one, you even dared to extort me." Chai Ren said, seemly annoyed.
Tang Qing cheerfully said, "Not really. Mr. Liu and another friend already gave an introduction fee. You, being a billionaire tycoon, should naturally offer something too. Besides, I got wind that you too have a gift. Hurry, give it up."
Although Tang Qing knew the content of the gift, he wouldn’t reveal it directly. Appearing too eager is unbecoming. Sometimes, being ’omniscient’ was not always a good thing – knowing everything often took away the element of surprise. However, this surprise was intended for his parents, not himself.
Chai Ren helplessly shook his head: "Ah, it seems I’ve fallen in with the wrong crowd. Anyway, I was planning to tell you this. I heard that your parents are still renting a house, so I plan to sell them a large duplex from Mr. Liu’s new real estate project at ten percent of the cost price. I know you like to keep a low profile, so we need to figure out how to get your parents to accept it. I’ve already discussed this with Mr. Liu, and we will ensure everything goes smoothly. How’s that for a gift?"
The atmosphere at the discussion pleased Chai Ren, something unusual for people aware of his identity. During dinners or conversation, people often acted out of trepidation and caution.
Whether it’s introducing someone, having a meal, or hanging out, although people would behave properly, extremely polite, and respectful, they always flatter without sincerity. It felt monotonous and insincere.
Phrases like ’Nice to meet you’ ’Lucky to know you,’ and ’you light up this place’ were so overused they bored Chai Ren. In return, he would fire back with generic praises like ’young talent’, ’ambitious youth’, ’very polite.’ It really reached peak boredom.
Chai Ren preferred the current atmosphere where he was treated as a friend rather than a privileged second-generation wealthy kid who needed constant obedience. Normal conversation was at times disallowed right from the start by the sheer pressure of his status.
Tang Qing left a positive impression on him today. If you treat Chai Ren like a deity, he would barely regard you as anyone. If you treat him as a friend, he will do the same. That’s Chai Ren. That is the conclusion of one analysis report about his personality at the command room.
Otherwise, Tang Qing wouldn’t have been so audacious.
It all boils down to strategy.
It all boils down to... data.
"Uncle Liu is so considerate. That’s great! But I also have one more thing. I want to ask if there’s another house with a similar area not too far from this one." Tang Qing said, considering the house for his future wife’s family too. Initially, he planned to mortgage a house from the earnings of the jewelry store, getting a 50% discount with the card provided by Liu Qian. But now, it seems unnecessary.
As for the future earnings from the jewelry store, they could use it to enjoy a good life, maybe buy a car and such.
"You want another one?" Liu Qian asked, puzzled.
"Yes, I need another one of similar size to ’give away.’ You can handle it the same way as before, and I’ll cover your losses." Tang Qing replied.
Before Liu Qian said anything,
Chai Ren chimed in,
"Let’s do it this way, Liu. Good things come in pairs. Let’s put the cost of both houses on my tab. I’m in a good mood today, consider it as my meeting gift." Chai Ren wouldn’t be this generous to a conventional Tang Qing, but he found Tang Qing appealing. After all, the cost of a house is peanuts to him.
"Great, thanks, Young Master Chai. Then I won’t be polite." Tang Qing grinned. He didn’t refuse. A hundred million or so was such a small sum compared to all people present. Chai Ren’s net worth was at least eight billion RMB, and that’s the minimum. Tang Qing wasn’t sure how much more Chai Ren owned in other countries or indirectly controlled properties or cash. If it weren’t for some clues they hadn’t cleaned up, the command room couldn’t have found out about all the other shareholders of Yunqi Investment.
"You could at least pretend to be modest." Chai Ren said, pulling a face at Tang Qing’s shameless expression.
Tang Qing didn’t mind and showed off the way he learned from his cousin, Qin Shiqi.
"Young Master Chai, since you said it’s a meeting gift, why should I refuse?" Tang Qing gave a clear and logical response.
"Hahaha..."
Chai Ren burst into laughter. He didn’t feel like he was being ripped off. He had a vague idea of Tang Qing’s assets. Although it seemed pitifully little to him, it’s definitely not the kind of money he’d lose sleep over.
This was merely another way to express closeness.
"Alright, Little Tang. I love your personality. We are friends from now on. The next time you visit Beijing, give me a call, and I will treat you generously." Chai Ren said with a laugh. This signified an acceptance of Tang Qing. Even Liu Qian envied them. He and Chai Ren were not yet on such close terms, whereas Tang Qing was now almost a confidant. Being just ’not a big’ businessman, his background was basically negligible to Chai Ren.
Is this the proper way to befriend a tycoon?
Liu Qian had a sudden realization.
"Little Tang, I heard your uncle got promoted to deputy director of the municipal bureau. Let’s have a meal together someday." Liu Qian suddenly remembered something Gangzi had reported to him, but he wasn’t surprised in the slightest.
"Well, my uncle has been very busy recently. Let’s see, once he’s free, we will come over to your place for a meal." Tang Qing declined politely. His uncle, Qin Yugang, had indeed been extremely busy. Previously, as a bureau chief, he only had limited jurisdiction. But now, as the deputy director of the municipal bureau, he had a lot more social obligations.
He had to coordinate with many municipal departments and handle a lot of issues in his bureau. He often had to attend meetings at the municipal bureau. It was incredibly chaotic, and he was utterly exhausted.
Every day he returned home tired. Tang Qing felt much empathy for him.
However, it seemed that Qin Yugang quite enjoyed it.
"Alright. Let’s make a plan when we have time." Liu Qian didn’t persist in inviting him. However, he was already keeping an eye on the situation. He knew that the various departments in the Economic Development Zone of the city had investment promotion tasks. He thought he could offer some help.
Now, his and Tang Qing’s interests were becoming more intertwined, and Liu Qian also wanted to maintain a good relationship with Tang Qing’s family.
He didn’t aim to defeat others, just to avoid being easily wiped out by them.
That was enough.
...
The meal took the three of them three hours to finish.
Afterwards, they didn’t participate in any recreational activities. Once done with the meal, Tang Qing excused himself and left. He had to go back and make arrangements. He promised to deal with the hundreds of people within a week. That was a deadline, a buffer for himself. For his first task after joining the gang, he had to quickly deal with those gangsters entrenched in the mine. He had to win this battle perfectly, keep his dignity intact and ensure his interests are maximized.
Chai Ren and Liu Qian went for a massage and foot bath.
Although the two didn’t look for company, they couldn’t avoid getting pampered. This was a standard recreational activity and had been corrupted by illegal organizations, which caused damage to its image.
A businessman like Liu Qian would never engage in pimping in his own hotel.
The two men lounged in the bath.
Steam was swirling around them.
"Mr. Liu, how much do you know about Little Tang’s friend?" Chai Ren asked with his eyes half-closed. He had asked Liu Qian this question before, but intuition told him that Liu Qian had not told him everything.
" Ah? Why do you ask, Young Master Chai?"
Liu Qian was a bit flustered. He had only talked about Tang Qing’s legitimate business before, but he didn’t know about the money exchange business that Tang Qing’s friend was running. He didn’t expect Chai Ren to be so alert. Had he found out something?
Or was he just testing him?
"His friend wants to do business with me. I just want to know more about him, and I’m just asking you." Chai Ren spoke slowly.
Hearing this, Liu Qian immediately understood. When he went to use the bathroom, Chai Ren and Tang Qing must have spoken about something.
Although he was curious, he didn’t dare to pry.
He had no right to know.
It seemed that he had to tell some truths. Once Chai Ren and that friend got close, Chai Ren would definitely start to question him. This wasn’t about selling Tang Qing out. If Tang Qing didn’t want Chai Ren to know, he would definitely warn him.
Liu Qian took a deep breath and organized his words: "Young Master Chai, I don’t know too much either. Apart from the legitimate business I told you before, his friend also deals in money exchange business and has a fantastic bodyguard."
"Money exchange?" Chai Ren was surprised and sat up, looking at Liu Qian. This business was beyond his expectations.
"Yes, the US dollars I gave to you last time were from Tang Qing. They must have come from his friend." Liu Qian confirmed.
"Now, this is interesting." Chai Ren lay back down and murmured, thousands of thoughts flashed through his mind.
"Yes. I have no idea how many dollars he has, but he must be very rich. As for anything else, I have no idea at all." Liu Qian said.
"Well, I understand now."
PS: The next Chapter probably won’t be posted until 11 o’clock.
